The present invention relates to a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which is installed on the vehicle to photograph an actual scene simultaneously with occurrence of a collision, and more particularly, to a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which has a simple mechanical construction while capable of precisely photographing a traffic accident, thereby ensuring easy manufacture and securing economic efficiency.
As well known in the art, a traffic accident photographing device has a camera installed on the front or rear of a vehicle. The camera is configured in a manner such that it can be operated simultaneously with occurrence of a collision to photograph an actual scene. The photographed actual scene is utilized as corroborative facts when handling the traffic accident.
However, the conventional traffic accident photographing device suffers from defects in that, since its construction is complicated, the number of component parts is increased, and it is difficult to manufacture the device. Also, because costly equipment such as a digital camera or an analog camcoder and an electric element such as an acceleration sensor for allowing the camera to be operated simultaneously with occurrence of an accident are needed, as a manufacturing cost is increased, financial burden cannot but be incurred upon purchasing and installing the device. Further, due to the fact that the device is susceptible to mechanical shock and breakdown frequently occurs, financial burden is further increased, and operational preciseness and reliability are deteriorated. Moreover, by the fact that a bolt-locking hole must be made in the vehicle, as damage to a vehicle body is caused, persons tend to show reluctancy to use the device.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which has a simple mechanical construction while capable of precisely photographing an actual scene of a collision, thereby ensuring easy manufacture and securing economic efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which is configured to photograph front, rear, left and right side images of the vehicle, with a camera fastened to the roof of the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which is configured to allow a camera shutter to be pressed irrespective of the direction in which a collision occurs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which has a simple construction despite adopting an electric circuit structure, thereby capable of being manufactured at a reduced cost and precisely operated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which allows front, rear, left and right side images of the vehicle to be photographed, without requiring an arrangement or component parts for directing the front, rear, left and right side images of the vehicle toward a lens of a camera fastened to the roof of the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which can keep constant resolution of a photograph taken simultaneously with occurrence of a collision, irrespective of day or night.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which does not need component parts for fastening a camera to the roof of the vehicle or other separate component parts, in such a way as to simplify construction.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which has a simple construction to be easily manufactured, can be mounted to the vehicle simply by bonding due to a light weight and a reduced volume, and can photograph an actual scene simultaneously with occurrence of a collision through a simple mechanical operating procedure, thereby further improving operational preciseness and reliability.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle which can automatically photograph an actual scene simultaneously with occurrence of a collision and at the same time allows manual photographing work to render user convenience.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a traffic accident photographing device for a vehicle, comprising: camera-fastening means for fastening a camera to the vehicle to allow the camera to photograph an actual scene upon occurrence of a collision; and shutter-pressing means for allowing a shutter of the camera fastened to the vehicle by the camera-fastening means, to be pressed by a weight member which is moved under action of inertia force generated by the collision.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the camera-fastening means comprises a transparent cover bracket having a reflection mirror at a center portion thereof; a roof bracket bolted to the roof of the vehicle along with the transparent cover bracket; and a housing coupled to a lower surface of the roof bracket, and defined, at a center portion thereof, with a camera insertion space which is opened at an upper end, the housing being further defined with a lens exposure opening below the camera insertion space.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the shutter-pressing means comprises a weight member-mounting hole defined through a side wall of the housing to be communicated with the camera insertion space; a round bar-shaped weight member disposed in the weight member-mounting hole; and a spring for biasing the weight member outward of the weight member-mounting hole.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the shutter-pressing means comprises a circular groove defined on a part of an upper surface of the housing; a pressing rod-mounting hole defined through a side wall of the housing below the circular groove, to be communicated with the camera insertion space; a discus-shaped weight member and a round bar-shaped pressing rod disposed in the circular groove and the pressing rod-mounting hole, respectively, and connected with each other by a rope extending through a connection hole which communicates the circular groove with the pressing rod-mounting hole; and a spring for biasing the pressing rod outward of the pressing rod-mounting hole.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the shutter-pressing means comprises a rectangular groove defined on a part of an upper surface of the housing; a receiving groove defined on a part of a bottom surface of the rectangular groove, to be communicated with the camera insertion space; a rotary pressing member hingedly received in the receiving groove and having a forward projection and an upward projection; a rectangular weight member disposed in the rectangular groove, and defined, on a lower surface thereof, with an inclined contact surface to be brought into sliding contact with the upward projection of the rotary pressing member; and a plurality of tension springs having one ends connected to both lengthwise ends of the rectangular weight member and the other ends connected to side surfaces of the rectangular groove.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the shutter-pressing means comprises a solenoid-mounting hole defined through a side wall of the housing, to be communicated with the camera insertion space; and a solenoid disposed in the solenoid-mounting hole, and electrically connected with an impact switch and batteries which are received in a switch mounting groove and a battery mounting groove, respectively, defined at a side of the solenoid-mounting hole and opened at their upper ends, the impact switch comprising a hollow cylindrical body having plus and minus terminals, a spherical weight member supported by an elastic piece at a lower end thereof and in the hollow cylindrical body and serving as an electrode, and an electrode plate attached to a circumferential inner surface of the hollow cylindrical body at the same height as the spherical weight member.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflection mirror is formed by a mirror body having a truncated quadrangular pyramid-shaped contour.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflection mirror is formed by a mirror body having a truncated cone-shaped contour.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflection mirror is formed by a mirror body having a contour of a triangle which is opened at a base thereof and has both sides symmetrized with each other.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the camera comprises a camera body having four side walls; camera lenses are attached to the four side walls, respectively, of the camera body; film-supporting surfaces are continuously formed inward of the camera lenses; and a film-supplying roll and a film-winding roll are provided inward of the film-supporting surfaces in a manner such that film can be supplied from the film-supplying roll along the film-supporting surfaces and thereafter wound around the film-winding roll.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the camera comprises a camera body and first and second camera lenses installed on a front wall of the camera body; and an iris having first and second iris holes of different diameters is positioned behind the first and second camera lenses.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the camera-fastening means comprises fastening projections integrally formed on both side walls of the camera and defined with bolt-locking holes; the shutter-pressing means comprises a weight member movably disposed at a side of the camera, the weight member having a weight body and a bent portion which is integrally formed at an upper end of the weight body and connected to the camera shutter; and a transparent cover having a reflection mirror is positioned in front of a camera lens.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the camera-fastening means comprises a camera holder; and the camera holder has a front plate defined with a lens exposure opening, a rear plate positioned behind the front plate and extending in a vertical direction in a manner such that a camera insertion space opened at a lower end thereof is defined between the front and rear plates, and a pair of attachment plates integrally formed on an upper surface and at both sides of the front plate and each having an inclination angle corresponding to that of a front windshield glass.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the attachment plates of the camera holder are supported by a pair of vertical support plates, respectively, which are secured at their one ends to the front plate; and the opening of the camera insertion space can be opened and closed by a cover plate having one end which is hingedly coupled to the vertical support plates and the other end which has a fastening protrusion capable of being engaged with an engaging protrusion formed on a rear surface of and adjacent to a lower end of the rear plate.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the shutter-pressing means comprises a weight member which is defined with an insertion hole at a center portion thereof in a manner such that the weight member can be fitted around the shutter of the camera; and the shutter is formed with a truncated cone-shaped portion, and an inner edge of the weight member, defining the insertion hole, is formed, adjacent to a lower end thereof, with a contact surface which is flared downward, in a manner such that the shutter of the camera can be pressed by the weight member.
According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, an upper end of the camera shutter is extended upward to form a contact projection; and a closure member placed on the weight member fitted around the camera shutter has an auxiliary shutter which is to be brought into contact with the contact projection and has a predetermined elasticity.